Belgium!

More catching up to do. Here are some pictures from our recent trip to Ghent, Belgium. Cindy, a friend from Columbus, lives there, and four others were also visiting, so it was like a big reunion. Our visit overlapped with the filming of a new Adrien Brody movie, so there were several extras wandering around in medieval garb. It really added to the ambiance!

An extra wearing plate armor! Rory is at the left of the picture, completely unarmored.

A load of extras waiting around for direction.

You can't see it here, but this guy was actually checking his mobile phone. Somewhat incongruous.

The movie set was inside Gravensteen, Ghent's 12th-century castle. There were several people shepherding the tourists around the movie set and into the other parts of the castle.

A view of Ghent from the top of the castle.

A reconstructed guillotine. (The blade is original!) This was in the Museum of Judicial Instruments, which is inside the castle.

The side of the castle, where you can see some of the older, unreconstructed portions.

A view of the castle's highest parapets. We had great weather!

Rory and I at the top of the castle.

There is more to Ghent than the castle, though! It's a lovely town with a collection of churches and gentle canals. It feels a little like a less touristy, more normal version of Bruges (which we visited last December).

One of the larger canals.

Alyssa, Dave, Rory, Rachel, and James.

The back of the church of Saint Michael.

The altar inside the church of Saint Nicholas.

At dinner! Rachel, Rory, me, James, Dave, and Alyssa. Not pictured: Cindy.

Rory and I outside of Gravensteen.

We had only spent three days in Paris before we hopped on the train to Ghent. For a small town, introverted person like me, Ghent felt like the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of Paris. I wish we could take a trip to another country every weekend, but sadly academia doesn't pay that well. I'll just have to explore the green spaces in Paris and find my own little nooks to relax in.